Monday, February 22, 2016

Ten Tips to Create a Positive Social Media Buzz—To Be and Not To Be

Edie here. I'm really excited to introduce you to our newest contributor to The Write Conversation. Molly Jo is a social media ninja in the truest sense of the word. I'm thrilled to be able to offer you all even more info about the world of publishing and social media. Be sure to give Molly Jo a warm welcome in the comments section below!

Welcome to Social Media MoJo. I’m your social media ninja,
navigating you through the cyber-world with all its twists, turns and rabbit
holes.

First up: Don’t Be That
Person.

You know who I’m talking about. There are certain
cyber-people who make you want to use Facebook’s Unfriend button more often
than not. Am I right? We’ve all been in that person’s skin one time or another.
The thing is, you shouldn’t stay there.

Here’s a quick run down of five social media personalities
you should try to avoid becoming:

Avoid being the one who only wants to sell.

1. The One Who Only
Wants to Sell.You know these people. They ask “How are you?” but don’t
wait for the response. They don’t care. While you’re telling them about your
day, they’re just waiting for you to catch your breath so they can interrupt
and suggest how your – or any – situation relates to their newest title.
Everything they post turns back to the product they have to offer. It’s as
though their only vocabulary is “Buy my book! Buy my book!” If this is your
goal for using social media, I suggest you simply open an online store.

2. The Self-Focused
One. This is similar to No. 1 except these people know how to personalize
everything – toward themselves. Instead of mandating that you purchase their
wares, they manipulate every conversation back to “Me, Myself, and I.” They’re
not really interested in hearing about your writing adventures. They’ll often
interrupt the conversation to be the center of attention. Now, if you notice a
fire behind the person you’re talking to, this is a good skill. If you’re
trying to be a good friend, notsomuch.

3. The Silent
Streamers. These are the people who see everything online but do nothing
about it. Sure, having a new “like” on your page or a new follower on Twitter
is equivalent to Internet cash, but only a penny or so. It’s the interactions
that keep you going. Right? In the Internet world, if you’re not going to
support someone, don’t offer your likes and follows and then disappear. That’s
like being the child in room who covers their eyes and says “You can’t see me!”
You really do know they’re there, but they want to pretend they’re not. What’s
the point?

4. The Streaming
Stalker. Similar to No. 3 except creepier. This is the person who gives a
like to everything you do, on all platforms, the moment you do it. It’s like
they wait online just for you. If you post a photo your donut-and-coffee
breakfast, the Streaming Stalker will like it, suggest ways to eat and drink,
and share it nine ways to Sunday. The Internet is designed for interacting, not
creeping someone out. It’s okay to show your support, but don’t do it in a
manner that resonates something off a crime drama. Let the person you’re
following know you support them. Help promote them by liking, following,
sharing, and commenting on their posts. Just not everything all at once. And
don’t hijack their posts. Remember, you’re there to support them, not steal
their thunder.

5. The Overly
Emotional One. These are the people who are either happy-happy-happy, or
woe-is-me. All. The. Time. Let’s face
it. Life is full of a little bit of everything. It’s okay to be real online.
Don’t be so cheerful that people want to put on blinders when they read your
posts, but don’t be a chaos junkie either. We all have our up’s and down’s. So
share bits and pieces of what’s going on in your world and by all means
interact with your followers. But if you want more likes, the trick is to be
likeable. Find a balance between Pollyanna and Eeyore and you’ll do just fine.

And now: The Buzzing
Be’s.

Here’s a short list of social media behaviors that can help
draw people into your hive and create some positive buzz for your and your
books.

1. Use your (key)
words. Ask yourself: Who will my audience be? When you post online, direct
some of the conversation to their attention. Writing a cookbook? Use #recipe. Quote a sentence or two from
your manuscripts or reference a character trait. Your hive will fly to your
side and bring friends with them.

Connection is a two-way conduit.

2. Connection is a
two-way conduit. The Three R’s: Reach, Respond, Reply. Whether it’s a like,
share, or comment, your swarm is more likely to help create a buzz if they know
they’re appreciated. Keep the honey flowing.

3. Forget you’re a
writer who needs readers. You are also a person, pet owner, coffee drinker,
snowboarder, checkers champion. Whatever other things that go into making you you, don’t forget that your readers are
also multifaceted. An honest online relationship is more than just marketing.
Share those bits and bites of your life, and the next time one of your bees
posts about their day, simply support them. They’ll think of you sweetly.

4. Share the sweet
struggles. Writing isn’t always easy. Take your swarm on the journey with
you. It’s okay to admit writer’s block or a belligerent character. Those
behind-the-scenes moments are the extras readers like to experience with you.
Just make sure you put your stinger away when venting.

5. Share the
sweetness.Writing is a beautiful adventure. Give your swarm a reason to
spread the buzz and share the honey. Offer freebies and discounts on your
books. Swarm Swag like bookmarks and free downloads are terrific gifts to say
thanks to those hard worker bees who spread the word for you.

21 comments:

Welcome Molly. Thank you for clarifying some questions I had concerning social media. I was afraid I was a stalker ;) I try to support writers but don't want them to think I am stalking them. According to your list, I am not. PHEW! I believe I stalk..I mean follow you on Twitter. Thanks again for your help.

Thanks for the tips, Molly. The thing I find the hardest is to just be me. You've reminded us that doing so is important and helps create interaction. I know I'm way too quiet, with a tendency to lurking rather than interacting. Appreciate the reinforcement. :)

Welcome, Molly! Thanks for the great tips! I have a question for you from something you mentioned in your article: when people "like" our Facebook author pages, would you recommend that we thank that person in an individual message? Or did you just mean to thank "likers" generally from our Page now and then, and offer rewards through giveaways, content, etc.? Thanks!

Hi Jerusha. Thank you. What a great question. I think it depends on several factors: Do you have time to thank everyone with a private message? If you start doing so, will it become overwhelming? I don't often have time to give a personal shout out on the FB pages, but I do often post my appreciate with memes and "thank you"s to all. And yes, now and then a giveaway is nice, too.

Hi Sharon. Thank you! FB "likes" are like waving hi, leaving a comment is like shaking hands. Both say "Hello, I notice you" but the comment is more personal and interactive. Your level of activity can depend on your available time, how well you know the person who posted, and other factors. There are times I only "like" a post, but when something really grabs me, I leave a comment. It's a give and take, the more interactive you are, the more response you can expect from others on your own posts.